Record Box Reviews: Bruno Mars Knows How To Party

It was showtime for Bruno Mars last night at the O2 Arena as he brought his 24K Magic World Tour to London.

With Anderson Paak and his band The Free Nationals opening the show, the arena was buzzing with excitement as the crowd waited for Bruno to take the stage for opening night of his four-date stay in the nations capital.

A little after 9pm the sound system kicked in and the screens either side of the stage came to life, as the 24K Magic Tour introduction played out to a screaming crowd. Then, the curtains went up, Finesse started to play and over the next 90 minutes Bruno Mars proved himself to be one of the most talented performers around today.

Image Credit: taittowers.com

The hits just kept coming as Bruno Mars took us through his third album; the energetic, throwback to the 90’s, aptly titled 24K Magic. His live band sang and danced alongside the self-proclaimed Hawaiian Lion, whose charisma and showmanship radiated out through the crowd, filling the arena with an energy that just couldn’t be resisted.

The band, which included Bruno’s big brother on the drums and Mars himself on the electric guitar, played a multitude of instruments, from the keyboard to the trumpet, and added extra funk to crowd-pleasers such as Marry You and Runaway Baby.

Bruno showed himself as an undeniable talent that could not only sing every note perfectly live, but could dance flat-out at the same time, never missing a beat.

Midway through the show, Bruno slowed things down and showed his versatility with an emotional rendition of When I Was Your Man. The crowd remained entranced as he sang his heart out, expressing his regret over a lost love, before segueing into his debut single Grenade.

Bruno turned up the tempo again at the end of the show, playing his hit song Uptown Funk and giving the crowd the time of their lives right until the moment the curtain went down.